


Empty Cradle

by Lost_Elf



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alpha Handsome Jack (Borderlands), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Hospitals, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I watched Bridgerton and this happened, Loss, M/M, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Not Beta Read, Omega Rhys, Sad, Whump, this is how i cope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:26:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29229183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lost_Elf/pseuds/Lost_Elf
Summary: Handsome Jack rushes to his mate's side as they lose what they didn't even know they had, but Rhys doesn't seem to need his support at first.
Relationships: Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	Empty Cradle

**Author's Note:**

> I am clearly not ready to be an adult person because an episode of Bridgerton upset me so much that I wrote this, and also crossed all my boundaries _again_. Please, read the tags, this work is sad.

Rhys sat on the cold plastic chair for what felt like years. His legs grew stiff, his buttocks full of pinpricks, and he was cold. He knew that he could ask one of the passing by doctors and nurses to take him to a room, let him rest there until his mate picked him up, or better yet – he could walk away on his own, ignore the recommendations and just get home by his own means. But he stayed on the cold plastic chair and let time flow around him.

The lights in the corridor changed as the day bled into night, the space growing dimmer to provide rest to tired eyes. A fresh set of faces started invading Rhys’ space, asking him every fifteen minutes if he needed anything, wanted anything, how was he feeling and what hurt. He kept repeating the same words to every single one of them, “I’m fine, thank you,” and they knew better than to argue with the world’s most powerful Omega.

Finally, as the hospital grew quiet, most patients asleep and the nurses tending to them tiptoeing, only a rare cry breaking the silence, Rhys heard familiar heavy footsteps hastily approaching him. As if on cue, he turned his head, and with it the upper half of his aching body, and met Jack’s worried gaze just as the Alpha fell to his knees by his side, taking the Omega’s organic hand into his big warm palms. The few souls that shared the space with them quickly disappeared, knowing better than to invade of the pair’s moment.

“Rhysie,” the Alpha breathed out, his chest still heaving from running all the way from the docks. He tried to not let his exhaustion show, but it was obvious in his face, his eyes dull and red from the lack of proper rest, hair sticking to his forehead with sweat and nostrils flaring as he fought to calm his breathing.

“How are you—” he began to say, changing his mind before he could ask such a stupid question. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here, Pumpkin. Came back as soon as I learned. I’m here now,” he assured his mate, one of his hands sliding up the Omega’s arm until it rested on his shoulder, pulling him into a loose hug that Rhys could break at any moment.

The younger man leaned into the comforting touch willingly, resting his cheek on the other man’s shoulder and slowly and deeply inhaling his scent. Familiar, safe, warm. He let his eyes flutter shut briefly, feeling as if the mere presence of his partner healed him. He felt good enough to get up at last, head home.

“I’m glad you came,” he said, sounding his usual self. His soft smile felt genuine, no matter how much Jack had narrowed his eyes at it, trying to see something darker hiding behind the careless mask. He saw nothing. Rhys looked – as much as he could in a hospital gown on a plastic chair in the hospital corridors – _fine_.

“We should go home,” he continued. “I was discharged a couple hours ago,” he looked at the time through his ECHOeye instinctively, wincing when he noticed that it was almost midnight already even though that meant that he had been here for _hours_ that he simply didn’t remember, “but they said that I should have someone by my side for the next twenty-four hours, and that I certainly shouldn’t walk the station alone.”

Studying him for another long moment, Jack nodded slowly. “Let’s go, then,” he said, quietly, sounding almost meek. It even seemed to unsettle Rhys a little, that’s how unusual it was, but he shook his head and slowly got up, wavering for just a second as the feeling slowly returned to his legs, more prickling and stabbing sensations attacking his nerves.

As Rhys hooked his arm around Jack’s, more for stability than emotional or other support, the Alpha hesitated again. He felt at loss, not knowing what was going on in his mate’s head. Truth to be told, he fully expected Rhys to dissolve into sobs when he arrived, seeking Jack’s embrace and calming words. But Rhys seemed _fine_ , and that threw him off. Suddenly, he wasn’t there to comfort. He just happened to walk by and they shared the route. As if nothing happened.

They walked in silence, the Alpha’s worried glances almost pointedly ignored but not quite – he half believed that Rhys actually didn’t register them – and the only sounds coming from the Omega an occasional tired sigh or huff as his muscles hurt. That caused even more worry on Jack’s part. If Rhys asked, or even hinted on it, he would carry him all the way to the penthouse, his exhaustion having no chance to stop him. But Rhys walked on his own.

The penthouse welcomed them with both its familiar scents and a smooth voice of an AI telling them about their missed calls, unread mail and messages, and that the last time the house had been active was at 6:22 AM when Rhys left it, heading for his first meeting of the day. For some reason, it seemed like eons ago.

“Do you want to eat something?” the Alpha asked, still incredibly timid compared to his usual self. He tried to search Rhys’ eyes for a hint, but again found nothing but normalcy. Eyes a little tired but warm, a kind smile.

“Only if it’s your famous five minute feast. I’d rather be in bed sooner than later,” he answered.

That sounded like a challenge. Like a mission. It was exactly what Jack needed, and he launched into action with a clear and loud: “On it!”

He almost toppled over when overthinking hit him, doubt creeping into his mind like a cloud of poisonous smoke. He turned his head to the side, gazing over his shoulder at his mate. What if Rhys only said that because he knew that Jack needed it? He watched as the Omega sat down at the dining table, an almost imperceptible stiffness to his movements that could be caused by anything, prolonged sitting being the most probable explanation.

What stood out to him wasn’t the awkwardness of the movement, though. It was that usually, Rhys would head to the bedroom and get changed into something comfortable. But maybe hospital gown counted as comfortable. He gave Jack a cocky smile, uttering a joke about time running that went right over the CEO’s head.

“Right, I’ll get to it,” he muttered, gathering ingredients from the fridge at hasty pace. He managed not to hurt himself even as his hands trembled, sweaty palm almost letting the knife drop out of his hand multiple times. In less than five minutes, six plates were served to the Omega, filled with small sandwiches and different fillings, as well as cut up vegetables and fruits, and one bowl with pretzels.

They ate in silence, Rhys not getting much food down before he pushed his plate aside, Jack wolfing down more than half of the food himself. He stopped Rhys from putting the dishes away, deeming it unimportant that late at night. He watched again as Rhys hesitated, where he would normally gladly agree to forego mundane chores now willing to fight for his right to scrape the remaining fillings into the trash bin. In the end, he nodded, turning his back to the Alpha and announcing that he wants to take a shower, and that Jack is welcome to join.

Taking up the words like a direct order, the older man trotted to catch up with his mate. He made a stop to gather clean clothes for them – the oldest and most stretched out t-shirt that he owned for Rhys, as well as two pairs of boxers. When he joined Rhys in their luxurious bathroom, he expected him to be naked already, but the Omega stood still in the middle of the room, snow-white gown hanging off his slouched shoulders. The image of peace began to crack around the edges, and Jack was there ready to collect the pieces.

“Rhysie?” he asked softly as not to startle his mate. It roused the younger man from his trance, and he slowly turned to face the Alpha.

“I think I’m gonna need your help washing up,” he announced with his usual confidence and the professionally neutral tone that he used in the office. “I am… pretty sure there is some leftover blood down there, and I—” he paused, gaze turning unfocussed, now staring right through Jack, “I’m not sure I want to see it.” His voice cracked at the end, but he didn’t acknowledge it, so neither did Jack.

“Anything you need, babe,” the Alpha said instead, taking off his own garments. Rhys waited until Jack stood fully naked before he pulled the hospital gown up over his head, his arms shaking as if buckling under its weight. When it was off, pooled at his feet, he fixed his gaze forward and walked into the shower stall, followed by his mate.

Jack soon realised that Rhys didn’t intend to move to wash himself at all, his eyes studying the label of one of their hair products, hands limp at his sides. But that was okay, that was more than fine, because it gave Jack another mission. Carefully, but not too slowly, not intending to prolong the shower too much, he washed Rhys’ hair first, then his own. In a couple swift, careless movements, Jack slathered his body with soap, letting the warm water raining over their heads to take care of the rest.

The Alpha’s hands were as gentle as an Alpha could be when he washed his mate, rubbing nice-smelling soaps into his soft skin. His movements inched lower with hesitance, all senses trained on the Omega’s reactions, but he wasn’t stopped, not even when his palms settled on Rhys’ ass cheeks, the Omega somewhat stubbornly keeping his back turned to him.

“I see no blood here,” he calmly stated as he carefully continued to wash his mate’s genitals. The resulting sharp inhale startled him, hands drawing away as if burned, mind reeling for a second as he scolded himself for even touching Rhys down there when he was vulnerable but also wondered if the Omega didn’t want to have the stench of disinfectant washed off of him.

Finally, Rhys cleared it up for him, his voice once more controlled, _too controlled_ as he said: “I’m pretty sure there is,” and nothing more.

An uneasy feeling washed over Jack, goosebumps rising on his arms. He nodded, even though his mate couldn’t see it, and slowly moved closer again. “I will check again,” he said, deciding to roll with it for his mate’s comfort, but this time he went differently about it. He wrapped his left arm around Rhys’ chest in a loose hug before he moved his hand, covered in soapy bubbles, between his ass cheeks again, gently rubbing away at non-existent foulness while providing closeness and support.

“All clean, baby,” he informed his mate after a while, taking note of the small nod of his head, all the acknowledgement that he would get. “Let’s get out,” he ushered him gently, stepping out first to fetch soft towels for them both, wrapping one around his own waist and using two to dry his lover’s hair and body.

As Rhys brushed his teeth, Jack watched him warily, almost regretting that he didn’t ask to do it for him, so restless he was. He knew that they were both waiting for it to finally fall apart, for Rhys to finally acknowledge the situation and begin his emotional recovery. It was looming over them like a dark cloud that Rhys kept adamantly ignoring. Jack, on the other hand, saw as the impending storm already leaned heavily into his mate’s body, making everything seem heavier, harder.

Almost tripping over his own legs, Jack followed his partner out of the bathroom, cursing when he remembered the toothbrush still in his mouth and rushed back to dispose of it and rinse his mouth out. The sense of powerlessness was threatening to crush him, eating away at the last bits of his energy, and Rhys _still_ kept pretending that everything was fine.

Jack was in the middle of a shootout when he got the urgent message telling him that his mate and Co-CEO was taken to hospital. The inhabitants of Promethea didn’t take well to the Hyperion CEO announcing his reign over the planet, and he had to fight his way out of the battlefield and back to his ship. The two hours that he spent escaping the open fight felt like nothing compared to hours spent on the ship travelling at top speed back to the space station. He cleaned himself off and then paced and paced and paced, unable to call his mate as the signal wasn’t good enough for communication with how fast they travelled.

They didn’t know that Rhys was pregnant, though Jack had some suspicions, ones that were meant to be proven right within the next two weeks when Rhys’ heat was supposed to start. As it turned out, the Omega was pregnant, nearing the three month mark, but severe bleeding and pain brought him to the hospital that morning and he lost the baby the same day he learned about its existence.

Jack couldn’t even begin to imagine how that felt to the Omega. They weren’t activly trying to get pregnant, but they agreed that they were ready for it to happen when it happened. But Jack was quite old already, and they knew it would probably take many attempts, the past two years being a proof that just fucking without a condom during a heat wasn’t all that was needed to make a baby.

They still had a lot of time left to try again until Jack’s knot turned soft and useless, have as many babies as they desired, but the loss must have felt ultimate and crushing to the younger man, especially since he was alone whrn it happened. Jack expected to have an armful of crying Omega when he arrived, but instead he got just his _Rhys_ , his mate desperately trying to win a game of pretend against the universe.

Splashing some cold water on his face, Jack tried to regain his composure. It was getting to him too, but he knew that he needed to be there for Rhys. Yes, he was sad that this happened, and yes, he would most probably cry about it later and think of _her_ , but now, his lover was the topmost priority, so he schooled his expression and walked into the bedroom.

Rhys was sitting on the edge of the bed, on his usual side, his back turned to the CEO, posture stiff. When the Alpha hesitantly crawled to the middle of the bed, pulling the sheets aside to make space for the Omega, Rhys finally moved, almost mechanically lying down on his back, his head turned away from Jack, what little of his expression he caught carefully schooled.

Jack turned off the lights and laid on his side, giving his mate space but remaining a comforting presence close to him. The dark cloud above them kept inching closer at high speed, so fast he could feel it grazing his skin with icy claws. Behind his eyelids, he saw big red numbers counting down until the catastrophe hit.

“My belly kinda hurts,” Rhys spoke into the darkness, voice no longer measured but strangely raw. He reached behind himself blindly, grasping Jack’s wrist with his metallic hand and bringing it to his abdomen. “Is it supposed to hurt?” he asked as Jack splayed his fingers over the soft skin, warm palm bringing comfort and safety. Before he could answer, the Omega answered himself. “The doctor said that it might hurt for up to two weeks, and that I could start bleeding again.”

The red numbers in Jack’s mind rapidly descended, _3… 2… 1… 0_ taunting him a mere second before the first shaky breath reached his ears. The next one that came was more of a gasp, followed by a sob, and Jack was reaching to envelop the Omega in a warm embrace, careful to keep his right hand exactly where his lover placed it.

“Shh,” he hummed quietly into Rhys’ hair, nosing at the top of his head while his mate curled towards him. “It’s normal that it hurts. I’m here, baby. You can let it all out.”

As if waiting for those words, Rhys dissolved into miserable, wailing sobs and whimpers, burrowing himself in his mate’s arms and soaking the bed in his tears. Jack noted with a strange, peaceful detachement that his face was also wet, his breathing only a little deeper than usual and tears freely rolling down his cheeks, into the pillows and Rhys’ damp hair.

It was okay, though. Tonight, and probably also tomorrow and the day after that, they would cry and hold onto each other for dear life, as if the universe were to take even more from them. And then one day, eventually, the pain would become but a small pinprick at the heart, one of many sad memories in a person’s life. As long as they had each other, they would be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm… bad at endings. It was supposed to sound hopeful. Anyway. Kudos to you if you read this.
> 
> You can find me on [my NSFW Twitter](https://twitter.com/ElfWriting) and [Tumblr](https://lostelfwriting.tumblr.com/).


End file.
